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Radiation Oncology in Skin Cancer Treatment

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Skin Cancer Management

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Abstract

Radiation was first used to treat a patient with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nose in 1900. Following the development of improved dermatologic and surgical techniques in the 1950s, the role for radiation in the treatment of skin cancer gradually decreased (Wilson L, Panizzon RG. Radiation treatment. In: Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, Rapini RP, editors. Dermatology. 1st ed. London: Elsevier Ltd.; 2003. p. 2185–95). However, in most settings, radiation offers distinct advantages over other currently available modalities. The goals of this chapter are to review the current indications for the use of radiation in the treatment of skin cancer, the techniques commonly employed in modern radiotherapy, the role of radiation in the treatment of specific skin malignancies, and the complications that arise from the use of radiation to treat skin cancers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, West Cancer Center, Memphis, TN, USA

    Wesley B. Garner & Matthew T. Ballo

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA

    Wesley B. Garner

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Susan L. McGovern

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  1. Wesley B. Garner
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  2. Susan L. McGovern
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  3. Matthew T. Ballo
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Correspondence to Wesley B. Garner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Dermatology and Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Deborah F. MacFarlane

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Garner, W.B., McGovern, S.L., Ballo, M.T. (2021). Radiation Oncology in Skin Cancer Treatment. In: MacFarlane, D.F. (eds) Skin Cancer Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50593-6_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50593-6_19

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